One day near the Spring Festival in the winter of 1985, Kong Ergou finally ended his three-year life of "re-education as a poor and lower-middle peasant" and was taken back to the city by a 212 small jeep.
It was as if Kong Ergou could remember things for the first time in his life. It was not until many years later that he found out that because the house assigned to Ergou’s father’s workplace leaked wind in winter and rain in summer, it was not suitable for the growth and survival of young children, so after weaning, he
They were sent to my grandma's house in the countryside, where they could do a lot of things. By the end of 1985, employees at the department level and above in their units were allotted new houses. Each house was a small two-story house with a yard. There were seven houses in total.
, Ergou’s father had just become the section chief and was assigned a job, so he took Ergou back. It was the neighbor of this family that allowed Ergou to meet probably many people who were as responsible as Ergou throughout his life.
It was unheard of and unthinkable, a bloody storm.
The first person Ergou met after returning to the city was Grandpa Zhao. The car made many twists and turns when entering the city that day, and finally stopped in front of a row of small second floors. Ergou's father opened the first door and entered the yard, excitedly
I went to open the second door, which was the door to the room, but found that I couldn't open it. I twisted and turned for a long time but couldn't open it. I was so anxious that I was sweating all over.
At this time, Kong Ergou started crying again because the weather was too cold and he missed his grandma. He had just howled a few times when he heard a bell-like roar from the yard next door: "Xiao Kong! What's wrong!" Ergou had never heard this before.
It was such a powerful roar that even more than 20 years later, he still thought it was the most manly voice he had ever heard in his life. He was immediately frightened by the voice and did not dare to cry.
At this time, I heard Ergou's father say: "Director Zhao, my door lock is broken."
Someone in the yard next door said, "Hahaha! Let me take a look!". Is there any mistake? He even laughed so confidently.
The door rang, and an old man in his 50s wearing a dark blue woolen tunic came in. The old man's waist was as straight as a gun barrel, and he had a resolute face. There were no wrinkles on his face, but there were wrinkles on both sides of his cheeks.
There were two extremely deep vertical lines, his eyes were very bright and energetic, and above his eyes were two dark and heavy heroic eyebrows. After the old man came in, he didn’t speak to Ergou’s father, but went straight to Ergou and pinched Ergou’s cheeks.
He yelled again: "I'll make you cry! Cry!" There was no smile on his face, and the six words were categorical. Ergou was immediately frightened by this majestic old man and didn't dare to cry anymore.
As an aside, although Ergou has been honest and careful in his duties as an adult, he was not very naughty when he was a child. His naughty main form was his ability to howl. Two or three years later, he was with a group of children in his mother's office one weekend.
We were watching TV together. Because my mother’s colleague adjusted the TV station and transferred Sheriff Black Cat, the two dogs howled four times in a row, "I---want---to watch----Black Cat"
----Police----Chief", according to rumors in the world, all the people in the building heard these roars at that time, which made everyone's hearts tremble. After many years, the same day and Ergou
The most common thing that children who watch Black Cat Sheriff together at the same time say when threatening their parents is: "Be careful I howl like Ergou." This shows how capable Ergou is. By the way: the reason why Ergou doesn't howl is
The fifth sound was because his mother said lightly: "Your Grandpa Zhao is here." Ergou was so frightened that he was stunned. This is a story for later, so I won't mention it anymore.
The old man took the key from Ergou's father and twisted it several times without turning it. The old man frowned and went out without saying a word. After walking for less than 5 minutes, the old man came back. When he came back, the old man had an extra key in his hand.
He picked up a pencil, a knife and a piece of paper. He picked up the knife and began to sharpen the pencil lead. After a while, the pencil lead powder piled up on the paper. He picked up the paper wrapped with the pencil lead powder and started to peel it.
Slowly pour it into the hole. After pouring some, I picked up the key and turned it gently. Hey, the lock really opened! (They say there are many fake and inferior products nowadays. To be honest, there were only more inferior products in the 1980s than now.
Now, I don’t know how many times the lock has been unable to be opened since then.) "Hahaha! It's open! This is the lubricant!" the old man said with a hearty laugh.
"Director Zhao, come in and sit down, haha," Ergou's father said.
"Okay!" The old man agreed cheerfully.
The old man entered Ergou's house, Ergou's mother went to boil water, and Ergou ran around. Ergou felt very fresh in this new home, running around upstairs and downstairs. He saw the building for the first time that day.
, the first time I saw an electric light, the first time...
"I heard that the Red Soldiers have returned from demobilization?" Ergou's father asked.
"Haha, yes" the old man said.
"I heard that the Red Soldier achieved third-class personal merit in the battle? I've known this kid since he was a child!" Ergou's father said again, "Hahahaha, yes, it would be good to come back alive." The old man said with a laugh.
"I haven't seen the Red Soldier for several years. I need to have a good chat with him during the Spring Festival break," Ergou's father said.
"I won't keep you any longer. I'm leaving." After saying this, the old man turned around and left. He moved like the wind, and Ergou's father didn't even stay.
When opening the door, the old man said again: "Xiao Kong, there are only three people in your family, and now we are neighbors. We will spend the Spring Festival at my house this year!" This sentence was like an invitation and an order.
Ergou's father was not polite: "Okay! That's it."
During this brief conversation, Ergou discovered that this old man loved to laugh heartily, spoke decisively, did not talk too much nonsense, and was a bit fond of swearing. He was very majestic. Until his death, he was the person Ergou respected the most.
Later, Ergou found out that this old man's surname was Zhao, and he was the director of the organization department of our city. He had just been transferred to a new unit at the end of the year and would go to a new unit after the Spring Festival. Before that, he was the director of Ergou's father's unit, and Ergou's father was his secretary.
Gou's father lost his father when he was young, and later studied at the Workers', Peasants and Soldiers' University. There were many college students before the Cultural Revolution in the unit, but Director Zhao valued Ergou's father the most. He and Ergou's father were colleagues and loved each other as father and son.
For several years, I have been following him in his work.
The red soldier they are talking about is his second son, who has just returned from the Laoshan front line. He is a scout. He has three sisters and one brother, all working in the city. Due to his strict family upbringing, several brothers are
They are good citizens who keep their own rules. However, their mother was beaten to death during the Cultural Revolution because of her bad nature. After her mother died, Director Zhao did not remarry. If anything happened, he would go to his mother's portrait to talk about it. The old couple had a very emotional relationship.
Shen. Zhao Hongbing’s adult brothers and sisters all have their own houses in this city, so only Zhao Hongbing and Grandpa Zhao live in this small two-story building.
Ergou saw Zhao Hongbing the next morning after arriving at his new home. Early in the morning, he was sweeping snow wearing a pair of large cotton gloves and a cotton military cap on his head. They said they were sweeping the snow in front of the door, but Zhao Hongbing was sweeping the snow.
In the morning, I swept all the snow in front of the second-floor door of a row of seven small buildings. It was so clean that even the snowdrifts swept out were all the same size and shape, and the distance between several snowdrifts was basically the same.
Exactly the same. Only the snow in front of his house remained unswept. When he saw Ergou’s father riding his bicycle and taking Ergou out, he was stunned for a moment and then threw down the broom and shouted: Brother Kong! He rushed over, rushed
When he came to Ergou's father, he gave him a bear hug, which almost knocked over Ergou's father's bicycle.
Then he took off one of his gloves and pinched Ergou's face and said, "What's your name?"
"Er Gou!" Er Gou also said at the top of his voice. "Haha, it sounds good," Zhao Hongbing said.
At this time, Ergou looked at Zhao Hongbing carefully. He had big eyes, a high nose, and the same heroic eyebrows as his father. He looked very similar to his father, but he was obviously much more handsome than his father. His father had a Chinese character face, and Zhao Hongbing
His face is thinner. This introduction is still too abstract. To put it simply, he looks more like Huang Xiaoming. If Huang Xiaoming's appearance can be rated as 95 points, then he can be rated as 96 points because he has more eyebrows than Huang Xiaoming.
A heroic spirit, that kind of heroic spirit seems to be only possessed by Chinese young people in the 1980s. Ergou rarely sees that kind of heroic spirit on the faces of young men after the 1990s. If I had to name a few people with that kind of heroic spirit between their eyebrows, I would say
If there are no heroic people, they are: Chinese badminton team coach Li Yongbo, former Chinese men’s volleyball team coach Wang Jiawei
Children always like people who are pleasing to the eye, and Ergou thought it would be good to play with this uncle in the future. Ergou also summarized the common points between their father and son: one likes to pinch the child's face when they first meet. The other
His voice is not too small.
"Hongbing, you are getting stronger," Ergou's father said. "Brother Kong, you are getting fat." Zhao Hongbing said.
"It's been quite hard these past few years," Ergou's father said.
"Serve the people!" Zhao Hongbing roared, still standing in a military posture, and saluted with a bang.
"Haha" he made Ergou's father and Ergou laugh. "I'm taking Ergou to have his head shaved. It's almost the Spring Festival and we don't have a haircut in the first month. Go early now to save yourself from queuing. Let's talk when we come back," Ergou's father said.
"Okay!" Zhao Hongbing said with a smile.
Ergou's father and Ergou rode away for about 20 or 30 meters. Zhao Hongbing shouted from behind: "Brother Kong, my father said that your family came to our house to spend the Spring Festival! It's lively."
"I know." Ergou's father replied with a smile.
It seems that the warmth and enthusiasm between colleagues and neighbors in today's society have disappeared around us. What is our current relationship between colleagues? We meet in the elevator in the morning and nod, and everyone cares about their own affairs at work. Yes, it’s already nice to be able to have a meal and sing songs together after get off work. It’s incomparable to the warmth we had before.
This was the first time Ergou met Zhao Hongbing. The handsome and hearty Zhao Hongbing left a very good impression on Ergou. Grandma and the entire production team, the entire village, and the entire township did not have a young man who looked so energetic.
On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, Ergou and his family went to Director Zhao's house to celebrate the New Year, and had lunch at around three o'clock in the afternoon. It was really lively because of the crowd. Except for Zhao Hongbing, all of Grandpa Zhao's children were married and had children.
The children were basically born in 1980 or 1981, and were as old as Ergou. Ergou soon forgot the pain of leaving his grandma, and played with the children of Grandpa Zhao’s family. Ergou and others
A child was playing in the basement on the first floor. The adults had already taken their seats. Grandpa Zhao was sitting in the back like a star holding the moon. Outside were several of his children and Ergou’s parents. It was a lively family gathering.
!Grandpa Zhao, who has always been serious, seemed very happy today and talked extraordinarily. Grandpa Zhao must be used to being a leader. He also liked to say a few words before eating. Seeing that he was about to speak, the children all consciously became quiet and put down their chopsticks.
At the table, Ergou and other children also became silent.
I heard Grandpa Zhao say: "Our city will have a great grain harvest this year!" (This sentence left a deep impression in Ergou's memory. I still don't know what the relationship is between the family dinner on the Spring Festival night and our city's 1985 grain harvest. The first time I opened the door Why do you say this first?)" "The living standards of our city's people have improved significantly since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China." "Farmers can have a good year this year!" "What a joy!" Looking back now, Grandpa Zhao's home back then As long as there are more than six people at the banquet, the family banquet will definitely become a party congress or a news broadcast. An old revolution is an old revolution. Don’t accept it.
After saying this, Grandpa Zhao paused and said: "There is also good news for our family, that is, the Red Soldiers are honorably demobilized. Come! Let's drink to the Red Soldiers! Red Soldier, from today on, Dad allows you to stay at home. Drink, because you are an adult, but you are not allowed to drink too much except during the Chinese New Year." Everyone picked up their glasses and drank the spicy Wuliangye liquor. The scene was very warm.
After a while, the adults were a little dizzy after drinking, and the children also started to eat. Ergou, who had just returned to the city from the countryside, didn't know the rules very well, so he sat on his mother and reached out to grab the snacks on the table to eat. Just as he stretched out his hand, before he could catch it, he felt a burning pain on the back of his hand and at the same time heard a crisp sound. Ergou's hand was severely slapped by the chopsticks in Grandpa Zhao's hand.
From that day on, Ergou knew that he must use chopsticks to eat and never use his hands, especially when there are many people. And this has made Ergou develop a habit to this day, which can even be said to be a bad habit, that is: No matter what you eat, you must put it into your mouth with chopsticks and dare not eat it with your hands. When I was in college, I was laughed at by my classmates for eating steamed buns with chopsticks instead of grabbing them with my hands. After work, my colleagues laughed at me for eating steamed buns with my hands. When eating lobster, you have to ask the waiter for chopsticks. Indeed: those chopsticks have been effective for 22 years, maybe Grandpa Zhao did not expect it.
The adults drank more and more, and their tongues began to grow louder. Zhao Hongbing couldn't drink enough, and he was already drunk after drinking a little. He talked excitedly about the war with the Vietnamese, and stretched out his hands to gesture while talking.
At this time, Ergou's father and Ergou discovered at the same time that only the last knuckle of the three fingers on Zhao Hongbing's right hand was left, and the rest were all gone. The broken knuckle had already grown back, and it was obviously an old injury.
"Hongbing, your hand?" Ergou's father asked in surprise. "It was hit by a flying stone on the battlefield." Zhao Hongbing replied pretending to be relaxed.
The air in the room suddenly solidified. Later I found out that after Zhao Hongbing was demobilized, he was very reluctant to let people mention that he had three broken fingers. In winter, he always wore a pair of big cotton gloves, and when he got home, he would clench his hands because of the broken fingers. The longest section of the three fingers is still left, so you can't tell it without looking carefully. Most of the time, he puts his right hand in his pocket. Although the finger has been broken for 5 months, But it is still difficult for him to accept the fact that he has become a disabled person, and he is a person with strong self-esteem. He hopes that no one in the world knows about this.
This young and handsome boy is smart, capable and kind-hearted. Almost all his peers in the city have known him since he was 16 or 7 years old. He is very good at basketball and table tennis, and his family can be regarded as an elite family (deputy department level is acceptable) Forget it), he is a perfect girl idol. If he had participated in a "Come on, Good Man" today, it would have been strange if he didn't win the championship. After retiring from the army, the training in the military has added a bit more heroism to him, which makes him even more heroic. All the young girls in the city were fascinated by it.
Such a young man is now half-disabled! He is only 22!
Perhaps, God is really jealous that there are such boys in the world.